Spring clip



Dec. 18 1923.

E. STEIGERWALD ET AL Filed Aug. 10 1922 SPRING CLIP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES INVENTORS .EZJwardAS'fe erazaid TAEIRA TToR/VE? Dec. 18 1923.

E. STEIGERWALD ET AL SPRING CLIP Filed Aug. 10. 1.922

Fig.4

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES/- ZNI/ENTORS Rank 5.1 til ZY I THEIR ATTWRZVZ'Y Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ZDWABD BTIIGIBWLLD AID MK L. I. run, OI PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VAIIA.

SPRING CLIP.

Application lled Inst 10, um. lerill I0. mass.

' To allwhom itmai concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD STEIGER- WALD and FRANK L. H. Pram, -citizens of the United States, residing at Philadel hia, county of Philadelphia, and State of ennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Clips, of which the fol owing is a specification.

Our invention relates to spring clips, and the object of the invention is to provide such a clip which may be made from a sin le piece of sheet metal and which, while especially adapted for use in draining photographic films, may be used for suspending ta$, cards or like objects.

hese objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, we attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a face view showing the improved spring clip in use, with one supportin means,

igure 2 is an edge view of Figure 1, with I another supporting means,

Figure 3 is a face view of a clip,

Figure 4 is an edge view,

Figure 5 is a rear elevation,

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a plan view of a blank from which a clip is formed,

Figure 8 is a face view of another form of clip, and

Figure 9 is an edge view of the clip shown in Figure 8.

The improved clip consists of a single plate 10 stamped from a sheet of 5 ring metal, preferably non-corrosive, and s own as of rectangular form except that the u per edge is curved. The plate, as shown in igures 1 to 7 of the drawings, is stamped to provide two angular slits having long arms 11 parallel with the sides of the late and short arms 12 extending to the si es of the plate. This forms two comparatively narrow side members 13 and a comparatively wide T-shaped central tongue 14 with the cross part 15 of the T below the free ends of the side members. The side members 13 are preferably pd to form longitudinal relnforcing corrugations 16 and tongue 14 is pressed to form a transverse rearwardly extending corru tion 17 and a forwardly extending curv spring 18 with the cross part of the T extending in the rear of the side members and bent downwardly and inward] to bring its lower front edge in contact with the lower rear edges thereof as shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawin wing to the longitudinal corrugations,

the side members are ri 'd as compared to the spring member and t e contacting parts of the spring member and the side members form resilient gripping jaws adapted to hold films, tags an the like. A part 19 of the central ton is extending to the rear of the side mem rs serves as a stop to limit the extent to which a film or tag may enter the gripping jaws.

The n per part of the plate is stamped to provi e an aperture 20 to permit hanging the clip from a hook or nail and to provide a burr which is ressed rearwardly to form a hook 21 by which the clip may be hung on a stretched wire or cord or b which a wei ht may be attached when t e clip is use in reversed position.

In use, the grippin jaws are forced apart, the film or other o ject inserted and the jaws allowed to close. The construction ail'ords wide grippingparts which do not pierce or otherwise in ure the strip which is engaged.

Inasmuch as the margin on photographic films is usually but three-sixteenths of an inch in width and any gripping action within that margin will injure the film, the stop which limits the extent to which a strip may enter the jaws, is especially desirable when the clip is to be used for draining films.

For draining and drying films or prints which are liable to curl or warp as they dry, the clips should be used in pairs, one clip being attached at the upper end to suspend the film and another being attached at the lower end with a weight 29 carried by hook 21 as shown in Figure 1.

In the modification shown in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, the form of the 'pping members is practically reversed. ngitudinal slits 22 are connected at their lower ends by a transverse slit 23 thus forming a short central tongue 24 leaving the side members 25 connected by a transverse part 26. The side members are bent forwardly to form a curved spring 27, corres nding to spring 18 in the other form and t e transverse strip 26 is brought to the rear I of tongue 24 to form the gripping jaws.

'The edges of these jaws are flared outwardly to permit ready entrance of a tag or other object.

This construction is more especially adapted for use with tags or other objects which are sufficiently rigid to open the grippi'n jaws by pressure exerted upon the tag.

V6 ile we ave described our invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various arts of our invention may be changed wit out departing from the spirit thereof, and hence we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction set forth, but consider that we are at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A spring clip consisting of a single plate of spring metal stamped to provide a central tongue member and a side member cut from and extending along the side of said tongue member, one of said members having a longitudinal re-enforcin ridge! making it comparatively rigid and the other member being curved and forming a spring member, and a transverse member at the end of said spring member, bent to contact with said rigid member thereby forming resilient gripping jaws.

2. A spring clip consisting of a plate of spring metal stamped to provide side members re-enforced by longitudinal corrugations, a central tongue extending between said side members, and a transverse member carried by the tongue, the tongue being bent to provide a spring member and the transverse member being bent to contact with the free ends of the side members, thereby forming resilient gripping jaws.

3. A spring clip consisting of a plate of spring metal stamped to provide side members, a central tongue out from between said side members, and a transverse member formed integrally with the lower end of said tongue, the side members having longitudinal corrugations, the tongue being bent to provide a spring member and the transverse member being bent to provide clamping contact with the free ends of the side members thereby forming resilient gripping jaws.

4. A spring clip consisting of a single plate of spring metal stamped to provide side members and a central tongue out from between said side members, a transverse corrugation at the upper part of said tongue, and a transverse member at the lower end of said tongue, the tongue being bent to form a curved spring member, and the transverse member being bent to contact with the ends of the side members thereby forming resilient gripping jaws.

5. A spring clip consisting of a plate of spring metal stamped to provide side members and a central tongue out frombetween said side members, a transverse member formed integral with said tongue, the side members having longitudinal re-enforcing corrugations, the tongue being bent to provide a spring member and the transverse member being bent to provide clamping con tact with the free ends of the side members thereb forming resilient gripping jaws, and a hooh and an openin provided on the upper end of said clip or suspending said member.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD STEIGERWALD. FRANK L. H. PFEIL.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. Porrs, ELIZABETH GARBE. 

